Liberal Arts and Sciences

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UMaine unveils app to gauge AI’s environmental cost

A new app, “What Uses More,” aims to reveal the environmental footprint of tasks completed with artificial intelligence, encouraging users to examine critically the energy and water consumption of their digital activities.  The app, developed by Jon Ippolito, a professor of new media at the University of Maine, was unveiled June 25 as a part […]

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An image collage featuring an image of Chyanne Yoder.

Chyanne Yoder: Turning the tide on disposable food containers 

Roughly 15% of plastic waste cleaned up along Maine’s coastlines comes from foodware. Chemicals used in plastic production often leach into the environment and pose health risks once absorbed into the body. Chyanne Yoder, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maine, aims to squash this source of pollution by supporting coastal communities’ efforts to […]

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ABC 8 interviews Blackstone on birthrates in Maine

WMTW (ABC 8 in Portland) interviewed Amy Blackstone, professor of sociology at the University of Maine, on potential reasons Maine’s birthrate is ranked the 7th lowest in the country. “We’ve done a really excellent job in Maine of lowering our teen pregnancy rates, which, in turn, has lowered our overall fertility rates. I think when […]

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Brewer speaks toward voting for school budgets in The County

Mark Brewer, chair and professor of political science at the University of Maine, spoke with The County about the general attitude of voters toward raising school budgets given their property taxes. “That is a pressure that voters are feeling,” said Brewer, who is also a member of the school board for Orono-based RSU 26. “That […]

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Media interview Brewer on campaign fundraising in governor race

News Center Maine and the Portland Press Herald interviewed Mark Brewer, professor and chair of political science at the University of Maine, on early fundraising efforts ahead of the election for Maine governor in 2026. “What would have been interesting is if one candidate had significantly outraised the others, or if one of them had […]

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National PEO Scholar Award opportunity available for UMaine doctoral students

The Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) in central Maine, a local nonprofit, is seeking a doctoral scholar from the University of Maine in the final two years of their program to serve as a nominee for the National PEO Scholar Award.  The National PEO Scholar Awards were established in 1991 to provide a substantial one-time, merit-based […]

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CBC interviews Riordan on Canada’s shared history with the U.S.

CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, interviewed Liam Riordan, professor of history at the University of Maine, for a segment about how the town of Castine, and much of eastern Maine, almost became part of Canada following the American Revolution. “We understand ourselves by thinking about our relationship with the past,” Riordan said. “And Castine really […]

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Sandweiss featured in American Archaeology summer 2025 edition

Daniel Sandweiss, professor of anthropology and climate studies at the University of Maine, was featured in the summer 2025 edition of American Archaeology. Sandweiss, who is also a past president of the Society for American Archaeology, talked about how extreme weather events make it hard for archeologists to set priorities about what to save and […]

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BDN interviews Sporer on use of AI in police evidence photo

The Bangor Daily News interviewed Karyn Sporer, chair and associate professor of sociology at the University of Maine, on a digitally-altered picture of evidence that was posted to the Westbrook Police Department’s social media. “Mainers have always been entering these situations with their eyes wide open and with a healthy skepticism of the police,” Sporer […]

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